Sea Launch Company, marking
its tenth successful mission, deployed the Galaxy XIII/Horizons-1
communications satellite into orbit tonight for PanAmSat Corporation, of
Wilton, Conn., and JSAT Corporation, of Tokyo, Japan. All systems aboard the
Boeing 601 HP spacecraft are sending healthy data back to ground controllers.
The Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off at 9:03 pm PDT (4:03 GMT,
October 1) from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned at 154 degrees West
Longitude, on the Equator. All systems performed nominally throughout the
flight. The Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 4,090 kg (9,081 lb) Galaxy
XIII/Horizons-1 satellite into a high perigee geosynchronous transfer orbit on
time and on target. As planned, a ground station in Fucino, Italy, picked up
the spacecraft’s first signal, shortly after spacecraft separation. The
spacecraft’s final orbital position will be 127 degrees West Longitude.
Upon completion of the mission, Jim Maser, president and general manager
of Sea Launch, said, “This 10th successful launch is a major milestone for Sea
Launch. We can only go forward from here. In fact, we are already preparing
for our next mission in November. Our success is the result of the tenacious
spirit and focus of everyone on the Sea Launch team and they deserve
recognition for their dedication to the job of meeting our customers’ needs.
“Of course, I also want to congratulate PanAmSat Corporation, JSAT
Corporation and Boeing Satellite Systems for this great accomplishment. At Sea
Launch, our customers are our partners in every mission. Without them, without
their confidence in our system and our team, we would never get off the pad.
This is our third mission with PanAmSat, and we look forward to growing this
valued relationship.”
The new Galaxy XIII/Horizons-1 satellite will bring a variety of digital
video, Internet and data services to North America, Central America, Alaska
and Hawaii. The Boeing-built 601 HP spacecraft carries 48 active transponders,
24 in Ku-band and 24 in C-band. Horizons-1 is jointly owned by PanAmSat and
JSAT, and supports their Horizons venture, providing expanded Ku-band services
in North America and extended services to Japan and Asia via a Hawaii-based
relay station. The C-band payload, Galaxy XIII, which will be operated
independently by PanAmSat, will offer the first high-definition neighborhood
in the U.S. cable arc.
Sea Launch Company, LLC, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., is a world
leader in providing heavy-lift commercial launch services. This international
partnership offers the most direct and cost-effective route to geostationary
orbit. With the advantage of a launch site on the Equator, the reliable
Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier spacecraft mass or provide longer life on
orbit, offering best value plus schedule assurance. Sea Launch has a current
backlog of 14 firm launch contracts. For additional information and images of
this successfully completed mission, visit the Sea Launch website at:
www.sea-launch.com.